Life Beyond Sport

Wisdom from the Sportsman of the Year

coachzonars — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:30:41 +0000

Last week, I shared a few takeaways from Sports Illustrated’s article about 2011 SportsWoman of the Year, Pat Summitt. Today, let’s glean a few insights from SI’s SportsMan of the Year, Mike Krzyzewski.

Coach K has always been one of my favorites, not just because he wins, but because of how he wins. He understands that winning traditions aren’t built on talent alone. I have a deep appreciation for the way he leads his team and develops boys into men.

These quotes stood out to me (my short comments in blue italics):

Metaphors are my crutch for a limited vocabulary. I’ve always felt a kid needs to see things, not just hear them or read about them. People remember stories and examples better than words.

Keep in mind the different ways people learn. Use stories and examples to get your point across.

We have five new managers this season. Do you know their names? If you own the program, you know every person on the bus.

Teach respect for every person around your program who contributes to your success.

If you lose while believing in one another, you can handle the loss. But in fact you have a really good chance of winning.

Never underestimate the power of unity, whether you win or lose.

The group that can play as one, with spirit and courage, has the best chance to win.

Talent isn’t enough. Great teams exhibit many other characteristics necessary to win.

They [Henry Iba, Pete Newell, Bob Knight] told me, ‘Don’t ever try to be like any of the three of us. Don’t try to be like anybody. Take what you like, but don’t mimic.’

Learn from others, but be yourself! Otherwise you rob the world of your unique gift.

Wisdom from the Sportswoman of the Year

coachzonars — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:14:27 +0000

Pat Summitt. The name brings to mind excellence, championships and that steely blue gaze that quickly motivates others to perform. She unquestionably set the standard for what every coach in America seeks to create: a winning tradition.

Last fall, she courageously made her diagnosis of early-onset dementia public, causing players and fans alike to rally around her. It would have been easier to keep it private, but leaders like Pat Summitt know the power of influence and willingly step into arenas where that influence can be used for the greater good.

Sports Illustrated named Summitt Sportswoman of the year last December. The article by Alexander Wolff highlighted some of the lessons Summitt learned along her coaching journey and the adjustments she made. There’s so much for us to learn from leaders like Pat Summitt!

A few points from the article that stood out to me (my short thoughts in blue italics):

To practice their craft, both [Summitt & Kryzyzewski, the SportsMan of the Year] reach beyond athletics to borrow from the worlds of management and psychology…For Summitt to coach this way means having team members bring in family scrapbooks to pass around. It means taking personality inventories and sharing the results among players and coaches to sensitize everyone to one another’s peculiarities.

Love this because I use something similar (Real Colors) with teams.

I built a wall of reserve and thought that reserve was the same as authority…I was so busy being tough, I didn’t understand the value of getting to know the players on a deeper level, their real strengths and vulnerabilities.

Can’t overstate the value of getting to know your players as people! Builds trust.

It took a dozen years for Summitt to realize she would get more from her players if she didn’t browbeat and overcoach them.

Most athletes respond better to a more positive approach.

She figured out how to frame criticism as a challenge, to bring out the competitor in each. She spared them the humiliating practices in unwashed game jerseys after they returned home from losses, and introduced the scrapbook sessions and personality profiling tool.

Showing respect and love motivates better than humiliation.

I worked everybody so hard because I thought it would make up for my youth and deficiencies. [Now] I was secure in my abilities and I was secure in our players. I had developed relationships with them so I sensed what they needed.

Knowing who you are and who you’re not frees you up to be yourself and focus on your players.

Pat Riley on Teamwork

coachzonars — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:07:02 +0000

Pat Riley’s astute comments* on the definition of teamwork as it applies to sports illustrate why I focus so much on building trust in my team building workshops:

Teamwork is the essence of life. And teamwork is an interactive relationship, whereby all of us are either hired or brought together for whatever reason to get a result. It is the essence of life in family. It is the essence of life in sports. And it is the essence of life in business. In order to be successful as a group of people the dynamics of being a team are all the same, with the exception that you are jumping off a different platform – probably from a different industry. But really, the principles are the same. People have to come together for the common good.

The only way you are ever going to do that is through trust. It’s even more than belief. Belief just isn’t enough. You simply have to get to a point where you trust one another – in their motives, in their approaches, in their games, in their idiosyncrasies, and their personalities, and what they bring to the table – and not be judgmental as a coach, or a teacher, or a parent.

No student, no player, no child will ever let you coach, parent, or teach them unless they trust that you are absolutely sincere, competent, and reliable. They are smart enough to see that. If your intentions as a coach or a teacher or a parent are nothing less than sincere, because you want to get something out of it yourself instead of what’s in the best interest of the person, then they won’t let you. They will sort of punch the clock with you.

*Excerpt from an interview by Coach & AD’s Kevin Newell

How Vision Took the Ashland Eagles to New Heights

coachzonars — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:58:07 +0000

Recently, I posted a few tips about inspiring your team with vision. In an effort to build on that, here’s a real life example of how one coach’s commitment to vision has resulted in unprecedented success for her team.

Seven years ago my friend, Sue Ramsey, created a vision for Ashland Women’s Basketball. She used words and then created a fantastic visual of those words within a basketball court. Though Sue has coached for over 25 years, this was the first time she had articulated the values of her program in this format. This one simple step resulted in heightened focus on the key principles upon which she had always built her coaching.

At first Sue called the document The Vision, but it since evolved into The Program. It’s not just Sue’s vision anymore, it’s the team’s identity. That didn’t happen overnight, but through relentless communication.

It wasn’t enough to stick the 3′ x 5′ poster of The Program on her office wall or to put a smaller rendition on the back of the team notebooks. Developing a vision and not communicating it is like preparing a gourmet dinner and not taking a bite—you miss out on all the delicious benefits!

Sue has incorporated The Program into every aspect of her coaching, including:

Recruiting/Hiring: Sue uses The Program in her ongoing communication with recruits. She explains The Program to them, illustrating how each value creates the team’s identity. Whether communication comes from Sue or her assistants, emphasizing the principles of The Program streamlines the words used and concepts shared. This makes things crystal clear for the recruits.

In addition, The Program reminds the coaching staff of the qualities each recruit must have in order to fit with the team identity. And just as it identifies the athletes who will fit, it also weeds out the ones who won’t. This is also true when Sue interviews assistant coaches. The Program helps Sue accurately describe the Ashland way and determine if potential hires buy in to this philosophy.

Discipline: When players make poor decisions, Sue uses The Program to remind them what they committed to as a member of the team. She has even used the Program to dismiss a player who didn’t uphold the standards. No athlete can use the excuse that she didn’t know, as The Program has been communicated both verbally and in black and white (or in this case, purple and gold) from the very beginning.

Accountability: Every day, each team member measures herself against the standards of The Program. They use the mantra “Commit to IT” (Integrity & Trust, the two end lines of The Program) as a reminder. Sue uses the various words that comprise The Program to encourage and inspire the team at every opportunity.

The last 7 years haven’t been easy. The Eagles have endured their share of disappointing injuries and losses. But through it all Sue stayed committed to The Program and created a new culture. This year she’s reaping the benefits of having 13 players and 2 assistants who know, understand and embrace The Program. It’s played a huge part in getting the right people on the bus.

And the best benefit? Along with exceptional talent, The Program is largely responsible for the Eagles’ 16-1 record and #9 national ranking (the highest in school history). If Sue can do this, you can too. But it all starts with investing the time in documenting your vision. (Look for more on this in a future post!)

3 Tips to Inspiring Your Team With Vision

coachzonars — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:14:05 +0000

We call some leaders “visionaries”—men and women who see what could be and work passionately and tirelessly to see it become a reality. People like Steve Jobs, Mother Teresa and Nelson Mandela. Simply part of their DNA, these leaders don’t to work at creating vision. It comes naturally to them.

But having the vision is only part of what makes visionaries so inspiring—and probably the smallest part. The element that sets visionaries apart is how they communicate the vision.

Though all leaders may not have a natural bent toward developing and communicating vision, anyone can grow in this area. I’m living proof.

In my previous job, I accepted an invitation to lead a department of about 20 staff, many of whom felt hurt and devalued by decisions of previous leaders. As I said, my gifting isn’t in the area of defining and communicating vision, but both were necessary to bring this team together. I needed to create community and a sense of purpose to inspire my co-workers to get out of bed every morning.

From this experience, here’s what I learned about vision:

Be Relevant

The only way a team will embrace the vision is if it taps into the reasons why they want to participate on the team in the first place. This requires knowing your people and what motivates them. Meet individually with team members—not to talk about your fabulous ideas, but to ask questions and listen. Understanding their heart and passion will help you formulate a vision that resonates with them.

The team I led didn’t need vision relating to what we would accomplish, but rather who we would become. We needed a sense of togetherness and community, and that became my mantra—Create Community. I even made those words the screen saver on my computer. We wouldn’t achieve anything until we became a community of people who had experienced healing and developed trust.

Be Visual

A word picture or some visual component will cement the vision in people’s minds. With nothing new under the sun, this may involve using ideas you’ve seen elsewhere. I stole my visual from a coaching friend who told me how she used it with her team.

The word picture was a rowing team, so I purchased wooden oars for each team member and painted their last name on it. On the handle, I used colored tape to indicate how many years that individual had served with our team. I presented the gifts during our Christmas gathering. They LOVED them!

This simple token communicated value for their years of service and reminded them of important facets of teamwork—working in cadence with others, moving in the same direction and fulfilling roles with excellence.

Be Consistent

Vision isn’t a one-and-done deal. You must communicate it over, and over, and over. Though you may feel silly referring to it again and again, rest assured this is the only way to create a culture where everyone knows the vision and can articulate it themselves.

We talked about rowing teams and the vision of creating community at every staff meeting. I bought books about rowing in order to more intelligently use the word picture to discuss various aspects of teamwork. Did the staff tire of hearing me talk about rowing? Probably. But did they get it and come together? Yes. Months later, one co-worker told me he was on the verge of leaving, but stayed because of my leadership. Consistently communicating the vision was a huge part of that.

You may not consider yourself a visionary, but that doesn’t excuse you from developing a vision and communicating it to your team! It’s one of the most important aspects of quality leadership. If I can learn how, anyone can…including you!

What ideas have you used to communicate vision? Please share below.

Keep Your Cool: 2 Tips to Managing Emotions

coachzonars — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:16:17 +0000

One of my favorite memories of this Christmas was hanging out with some of my family in Starbucks talking about leadership. My brother, a high-level executive, shared a principle that’s vitally important for successful leadership in business, sports or anywhere else.

When he leads meetings, co-workers sometimes make comments that anger him. Though he’s fuming on the inside, his outside demeanor doesn’t change and he’ll respond with something like “that’s an interesting idea. What do the rest of you think?” He mastered his emotions in that moment, not allowing the irritation to cloud his ability to lead well.

The opposite reaction—flying off the handle and reaming his co-worker—would have created distrust. That employee may never speak up in a meeting again for fear of ridicule, and others would likely follow suit. By controlling his emotions, Stephen gave himself time to calm down and kept the lines of communication with his team open.

Some coaches think raging at their team motivates and results in better performance. I don’t agree with that philosophy, and coaches like Tony Dungy, John Wooden and Kay Yow prove my point. You don’t have to scream, rage or demean to inspire athletes to perform at the highest level.

Studies show that emotional intelligence, or EQ, is a more accurate indicator of success in life than IQ. And the even better news? While your IQ is determined at a young age and fluctuates little, you can learn emotional intelligence and get better at these skills. Learning to manage your emotions is crucial for your success as a person and leader.

Self-management is just one of four areas of EQ, but is for many people the most important place to start in developing stronger EQ. Little changes will make a big difference in the end, so while these suggestions may not seem like rocket science, they can help significantly:

Make Your Goals Public

Letting your co-workers or athletes know that you’re seeking to improve in a particular skill gives you automatic accountability. Maybe your goal is to receive criticism without retorting in self-defense or to stop rolling your eyes in frustration. Ask people who you know will pay attention to your progress.

When you share your goals with someone, give them permission to monitor your progress and hold you accountable. You may even allow them to dispense reward or punishment. If you’re working on not cursing on the sidelines, for example, you could agree to pay your colleagues every time a word slips out.

Sleep On It

My friend Sue Ramsey coaches basketball at Ashland University. If something happens during the day that bothers her (a comment by an assistant coach or player, issue with administration, etc) she takes the evening to think about it and sleep on it. If in the morning, she is still bothered by the incident, she discusses it with the person involved that day.

Time helps you self-manage because it brings clarity and perspective. Creating this space allows you to respond rather than react. When your emotions settle, you can take a step back and see the bigger picture, which will most often lead to better decision-making.

The key here is your commitment to following through if the issue still bothers you the next morning. Stuffing emotions isn’t managing them. Talk yourself out of addressing it and you’ll harbor bitterness that will eventually seep out into your leadership anyway. Challenge yourself to honestly and respectfully address the issue and you’ll walk with a lighter step.

What methods do you use to manage your emotions in moments of frustration or anger? Please share your best practices below. We want to learn from you!

My Favorite New Year’s Tradition

coachzonars — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:17:39 +0000

Like many people, I find comfort in traditions. Unlike many people, I’m not a big New Year’s party kind of gal. But I do have a New Year’s tradition that’s been a meaningful way for me to transition to the upcoming year.

Awhile back, I learned of a simple exercise that yields profound insights.* It’s become a New Year’s tradition of sorts. Grab some coffee, tea or hot cocoa and spend an hour with these questions. You’ll ring in the New Year with purpose and direction that will lead to lasting results in 2012.

Step One—Completing the Old

Look at all the areas of your life, reflecting specifically on 2011. Consider areas like faith, family, wellness, community, finance, career and recreation.

List all of your Wins, Successes, and Breakthroughs
List all of your Losses, Disappointments and Breakdowns

Regardless of whether the item is a “win” or a “loss,” you are not as likely to take on the next opportunity in your life unless you are complete with past accomplishments and disappointments. When you complete them, you create space for new things to show up in your life.

Some of my 2011 wins and losses:

Wins, Successes, Breakthroughs:

published my third book, Wisdom for the BusyCoach
developed more business among volleyball teams (12 workshops and spoke at AVCA Convention)
table leader for Beth Moore Bible study at church
volunteered with Operation Christmas Child

Losses, Disappointments, Breakdowns:

lost sight of business goals
poor time management (details derailed me from most important things)
inconsistent with planning time and reviewing life plan each week
lacking consistent connection to niece/nephews

Step Two—Lessons Learned

Choose 5-7 lessons you have learned this past year that you want to take into 2012. When thinking of what to include, remember that you will want to consciously use these lessons in the coming year.

Some 2011 lessons I want to carry forward:

Focused effort yields tangible results
I need community. Being an solopreneur can lead to periods of isolation, which in excess, aren’t good for me
Evernote can help me be even more effective

Step Three—Creating the New

Imagine ahead to December 2012 and write a list of your wins, successes and breakthroughs for 2012. Consider each area of your life, be specific and write them as though they have already happened.

Combined with this, some clients love to do a creative exercise. This might take the form of a poem, story, collage, or drawing—anything that captures the essence and excitement of where you want to go in the next year.

A few of my wins, successes and breakthroughs for 2012:

developed personal coaching side of business, serving 7-10 clients consistently
volunteered 1-2 times/month
reduced paper to one filing cabinet
practiced Sabbath (one full day off/week)

After you work through these steps, use your new wins, successes and breakthroughs to formulate new goals for 2012.

*Exercise developed by Lynn Meinke.

What questions do you find helpful in reflecting on the past and moving into the future?

How I Renewed My Motivation

coachzonars — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 15:24:44 +0000

Last night I spent some time online researching tours of the Holy Land. I’ve always wanted to take one with a great Bible teacher and plan to make happen in the next few years.

The tour that interested me most is pretty intense, with 6-10 miles of walking/hiking a day for 10 days. I want more than just to see the places that are such an important part of the faith I’ve based my life upon, I want to experience it!

But looking at the vigorous schedule, I wondered if I could endure it physically—particularly in light of my chronic back problems. They obviously recommended a training regimen of extensive walking and hiking in hilly terrain to prepare.

I noticed that just the thought of training for this trip changed how I approached my exercise this morning. I felt motivated to do more and even got on the stair climber for a portion of my workout. I got a fresh picture of how working toward a specific, measurable goal impacts my day-to-day mentality, motivation and performance.

The last few weeks I’ve felt somewhat lost and stuck at the same time. Completely lacking in motivation. Wandering somewhat aimlessly through my days. This morning I realized why:

1. I’ve stopped reviewing my LifePlan each week. This practice helps me keep my values and mission in front of me so that I live more on purpose.

2. I am not working toward any goals—personally or professionally. I have lots of ideas but nothing written down to work toward.

Making time for these two activities will get me back on track, inspiring me toward the life I want to lead.

When you feel lost or stuck, what has helped you get back on track?

Team Building Tip—Body Language

coachzonars — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:40:10 +0000

Tebow’s Tribe

coachzonars — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:09:58 +0000

The media frenzy about Tim Tebow fascinates me. It seems that reporters can’t understand how he can be so popular when he (supposedly) doesn’t have the skill set to be a great NFL quarterback.

They’ve gone on and on about his horrible technique and inability to complete passes. And yet, since taking over as the Broncos starting QB, Tebow is 5-1, endearing him even more to his fans.

I’ll admit, the wins haven’t been pretty. But since when has that been important? It’s not a beauty pageant. It’s football. The objective is to win games. And Tebow’s winning—and driving his critics crazy!

But his teammates back him. They believe. They perform. They follow.

Tebow recently stated that the most important characteristic for a quarterback is leadership. In order for a team to reach its potential, the leader must help create a culture where individuals trust and believe in one another.

Tim Tebow consistently demonstrates key leadership principles that have helped bring the Broncos together in a way that positively impacts their performance. A tribe of men out to prove how together they can accomplish the extraordinary.

Walk in Humility

In every interview I’ve seen or read, Tebow talks about how he’s working each day to get better. He hasn’t inferred that he’s the next Manning or Brees. His only claim is that he’ll work hard and do everything in his power to get better. In a league brimming with athletes clamoring for opportunities to spout off about their greatness, Tebow’s humility is as stunning as the Rockies after a freshly fallen snow.

Humble leaders who admit areas of needed growth attract followers.

Control the Controllables

Many aspects of this situation sit outside of Tebow’s control. He can’t dictate what the media, his teammates or fans will say. He can’t control decisions made by Broncos VP John Elway, or coach John Fox.

The only thing Tim Tebow can control is himself—his effort, his preparation, his responses. And he’s doing a darn good job. He’s always worked and prepared relentlessly, but his responses to all this media attention continue to impress me. With so many opportunities to retaliate in anger to his critics, Tebow has been nothing short of gracious at every turn.

Leaders who focus primarily on improving themselves attract followers.

Play with Confidence

Since he was 6 years old, Tim Tebow dreamed of being an NFL quarterback. He encountered lots of doubters along the way…many who said he should play linebacker instead.

But rather than giving in to other’s opinions, he kept working hard and believing in his skills—and he does have skills. You don’t win Heisman Trophies and National Championships without them.

He understands his strengths (and plays to them) and also knows where he needs to get better. But either way, in the huddle he projects confidence that he and his teammates have what it takes to win games.

Leaders who play with confidence attract followers.

If you’re a leader and you want to inspire others to follow, walk in humility, focus on improving yourself first and play/work confidently. Before you know it, you’ll have a tribe too!